Online Protection and Enforcement of Digital Trade (OPEN) Act

The Online Protection and Enforcement of Digital Trade (OPEN) Act is a bipartisan bill released by senators and representatives into both chambers of Congress, introduced in the United States Senate on January 18th.[1]

Its focus is to stop the transfer of money to foreign websites whose primary purpose is piracy or counterfeiting. OPEN would utilize the United States International Trade Commission (ITC), which already adjudicates patent disputes, to enforce this law.[2]

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Proponents of the bill include tech and Internet companies like Google, eBay, Yahoo, Facebook, Twitter, Mozilla LinkedIn, Wikia, and Reddit,[3] who believe it would be effective at combating online piracy without significantly hurting legitimate websites or Internet businesses, and without changing the fundamental architecture of the Internet. The tech industry has actively taken a part in marking up OPEN.

Many people still feel the bill has problems, but unlike SOPA and PIPA, that it is still worth debating the bill in order to find a workable solution that allows for targeting piracy, while not harming legitimate business.[4]

Most media corporations, Hollywood, and the music industry have been reported as not being in support of the ideas and provisions of the OPEN Act. In particular, the RIAA has criticized the bill, stating that it would do nothing to stop piracy, and urging Congress to scrap the bill.